Serving device.



F. T. M. SCHINDELER.

SERVING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.5, 1913.

Patented July 14, 1914,

THE NORRIS PETERS CON PHOTO-LITHQ. WASHINGTON D. C

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANZ '1. M. SCHINDELER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

SERVING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 14:, 1914;.

Application filed March 5, 1913. Serial No, 752,145.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANZ T. M. SoIuNDnLnn, a citizen of the United States,

residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Serving Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to serving devices, such as are used on dining tables for the purpose of containing and dispensing crackers, croutons, and like articles of food; and its objects are to provide a device of this character having a hopper in which a quantity of crackers, for instance, may be placed and from which they may gravitate into serving pockets below to replace such crackers as have been withdrawn therefrom; to provide a device of this character which is sanitary, being provided with covers for the serving pockets to protect their con tents from dust or other undesirable ele ments; which is provided with a common operating means for the aforesaid covers, upon the actuation of which the various covers are simultaneously raised; and which is provided with racks for the accommodationof receptacles containing salt, pepper and other seasoning ingredients, commonly associated, and used for the flavoring of soups or the like, for which the crackers are provided.

These and further objects will be apparent as this description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, Figure 1 is a perspective View of my serving device; Fig. 2 a vertical cross section thereof, looking toward the end having the cover-operating mechanism applied thereto; and Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional detail of that end of the device shown in Fig. 2.

Describing the parts by the use of reference characters, 1 and 2 representthe end walls of my serving device which are connected by side plates 3 and 4 secured to the end plates as by rivets, as shown at 5. A bottom 6, comprising a pair of parabolic curved portions which meet in a central longitudinal ridge (as indicated at 7) and which are bent downwardly near their outer edges to form vertical side walls 8, is secured to the end walls 1 and 2 by rivets or screws which pass through lugs 9, projecting inwardly from the ends of the walls 8,

and lugs 10, which are turned toward the center of the device from the ends of the parabolic curved portions, and are secured to the ends by comm-on fastening means. That space inclosed by the upper portion of the end walls and the plates 3 and 4;, provides a hopper A which is adapted to be closed by the curved plates 11, hinged at 12 upon rods supported in the end walls 1 and 2 and which meet at their upper edges on the medial line of the serving device. These cover plates overbalance toward the center of the device and are re tained closed bytheir own weight, although, if I find it desirable, I will provide a latch or other fastening means for holding them closed. B represents the serving pockets which are formed by the curved portions of the bottom Gand the lower, outer portions of the end walls 1 and 2. These pockets have coversrl t which are curved to conform to the shape of the end walls and which are supported upon correspondingly shaped arms 15, pivoted at 16 to the end walls 1 and 2. Those arms 15 which are pivoted to the end wall 2 have inwardly projecting branches 17, the inner ends 01"? which are connected by links 18 to a cross head 19 rigidly secured to a plunger rod 20 which is guided through a hole in a bracket 21 carried by the end wall 2 and which is surmounted by a knob 22 which may be engaged by the thumb of the operator to depress the rocl 20 and its cross head 19, the links 18, and the branches 17 of the arms 15, causing said arms to rock upon their pivots 16 and elevate the covers 141 into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. It will be noted, upon an inspection of the same figure, that the side plates 3 and 4 extend downwardly a sutlicient distance to provide restricted passageways C through which the serving pockets B communicate with the hopper A; and this construction provides an automatic check or stop for the feeding of the crackers from the hopper into the pockets, by the presence of the crackers in the pockets choking or blocking the restricted passageways C andthereby preventing further gravitation of the crackers from above until the supply in the pockets has been depleted to the desired extent.

A convenient handle is provided for my serving device by a horizontal bar 25, supported near its ends by a pair of vertical rods 26 which are curved near their lower ends toward the end walls 1 and 2 and terminate in flat portions 27 which may be riveted or otherwise secured to the end walls. I

It will be seen from Fig. 3 that the lower portion 28 of the end wall 2 is bent out- Wardly in a horizontal plane and this horizontal portion provides the bottom plate of a supporting rack for a salt cellar, a pepper duster, and other such containers, the upper plate of the rack being shown at 29. The inner edge of the latter plate is turned downwardly to form a flange 30 by means of which it may be secured to the outer surface of the end wall a convenient distance above the horizontal portion 28 and parallel thereto.

end is treated in a manner identical thereto.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: I

In a device of the character set forth, the combination of a receptacle having an inverted V-shaped bottom the sides whereof are downwardly, outwardly and upwardly inclined to provide laterally projecting pockets, side, end and cover plates forming with the central portion of the bottom a storage receptacle or hopper, the lower ends of the sides projecting above and spaced a relatively short distance from the clown- Wardly inclined sides of the bottom to provide restricted passageways therewith, a cover plate for each pocket pivoted at its inner end adjacent to a side plate, arms projecting inwardly from each cover plate, a plunger having a cross head, and links connecting said cross head with said arms.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aifix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANZ T. M. SCI-IINDELEB. Witnesses:

BRENNAN B. VVns'r, HAROLD E. SMITH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissionerof Patents.

7 Washington, I). C. 

